Reflections from a mature student on the Student Learning and Engagement Pilot at University of the Arts London
Authors
BA (Hons) Ceramic Design – Year 3, University of the Arts London
Enhancing Engagement: Student Dialogic Blogs
Student Learning and Engagement Pilot, University of the Arts London
Nicky Backlund
As a mature student I really enjoyed being a part of the forum and engaging with the tutors as well as fellow students. It’s interesting to hear both sides. There are frustrations on both, and I think being the age I am, and my prior experience helps with sympathising for the tutors who are extremely passionate about what they do and the learning experience. They are however extremely stretched and faced with a lot of difficulties within a very diverse group of students. I do not envy the role of the tutor as I feel there is no accountability put on the students which then just makes life harder for the tutor. I don’t understand the full workings of a school or the UAL body so I am only speaking from what I have seen and experienced during my time there.
My whole learning experience at Central Saint Martins (CSM) has been great overall. I have been involved in various initiatives which have enabled me to voice my opinion and hear others in relation to enhancing the student learning experience. I have been Student Rep for my course and won student rep of the year for CSM in 2023.
Education is a constant evolving process and I am in awe of how much the tutor’s care. Stretched with time and resources they are always going the extra mile to accommodate or ensure each individual’s learning experience is of the highest standard for them.
I was asked to join a working group during my first year along with representatives for years 2 and 3 and it was looking at the curriculum. I feel we played a very crucial role as spokespeople for the course and that our voices were heard, and some initiatives were implemented. Highlighting that it really does help to have informal and formal collaborative discussions between students and staff.
There is always room for improvement in anything and I think communication is key as well time. I think if the teachers had more time and more resources it would help enormously – more informal discussions.
It was very apparent when talking to other students and tutors from different courses that (and this is no surprise) the bigger the course the harder the retention / focus was. Ceramic design is one of the smallest courses in UAL however that brings with it huge benefits. We have a great community within all year groups, we have access to tutors pretty much whenever needed. With at least one face to face engagement weekly. Talking to others it was very clear this was not the case for many.
Maybe some prep prior to courses starting to get an understanding of the group coming in would make a difference. The more a person feels they are heard the more they are likely to engage especially if they feel understood and listened too.
This may help in grouping people together or incorporating a “buddy” system in the larger courses. Utilising the second or third to help engage and nurture the first years.
Response from Leanne Grice
It’s good to hear that Nicola found value in delivering a workshop at the forum and it enabled her to have a good understanding of the difficulties from the perspectives of staff and her fellow students. Throughout the pilot, we’ve heard similar compassion from students towards their tutors which I find to be reassuring in the way that they see the University as a community and care for their tutors, yet it is also a little concerning. If students see staff, as Nicola describes ‘extremely stretched and faced with a lot of difficulties’ how can this create an inviting environment for students? Does the course become less ‘sticky’ as students back away for fear of adding to the pressure of their tutors? Particularly for those students who already see tutors in a position which makes them difficult to approach. Although Nicola states she has had a positive experience with her course tutors, I wonder if the discussions during the forum changed the way she approached her tutors, or perhaps how she advised others to do so?
The notion of ‘accountability’ has also been a point of discussion throughout the pilot and the forums, considering who is ‘at fault’ when a student makes the decision not to engage. Is it the course teams for not making their courses engaging enough or providing the correct support? Or is it the student for not making the effort and seeking out the support required? Many of us know from reports, surveys and our own institutional experiences, that two of the greatest barriers to engagement, cost of living and mental health challenges, are potentially out of the control of the student, course staff and some may say, the institution. There are some ways that universities can support these students, through mental health support, financial support and more consideration around timetabling, and equipment and material requirements. But in many cases, students can be missed because they’re not aware of this support or don’t have an opportunity to talk through what support they may need. As noted by Nicola, this can be particularly challenging for students on courses with large numbers of students, and so we need to consider how we can offer an equitable experience to all students, so that those in need are not lost.
Throughout this pilot, we have heard students who are frustrated with the behaviours of their course mates, particularly around the lack of attendance and they have expressed how this impacts on their own learning. But perhaps we need to find ways to ensure that a positive student experience doesn’t rely on the attendance of others and discuss with our students the reasons why others may not be able to engage in the same way that they are able to. I’m interested to know more about the difficulties that Nicola identified and specific areas which could be adapted to encourage students to engage more. Also, how did Nicola consider this when designing and delivering the workshop at the forum?
Response from Nicky Backlund
Following the Forum, I think I was just even more aware of how stretched the tutors were and that in many ways their hands are tied in terms of what they are able to do. As I was always quite outspoken and open with the tutors, I always encouraged other students to take the same approach. If a tutor was unaware of an issue, they were never going to be able to help resolve it… and they can’t be expected to be across everything and everyone all the time. As a rep I tried my best to speak on behalf of students to tutors and vice versa and feel I managed this quite well for our department.
Difficulties I witnessed with attendance and lateness were quite a concern, lack of respect for others in the course was another. I think attendance / lateness should be built into the overall grade system as you (as an adult) have signed up for a full-time course therefore universities provide tutors to deliver that course. It is your responsibility to attend and make the best use of that resource. If tutors are unable to address the issue with individuals, then there is no incentive for anyone to show up or have any accountability.
In terms of lack of respect for others the same applies if someone isn’t clearing up after themselves it has a knock-on effect for all – if that person / people can’t be addressed individually there is no incentive to behave differently, and the same people will continue to do on their behalf to avoid ramifications for everyone else.
When these issues were addressed at the forum I felt more empathy for the tutors as their frustration is clear and I think as an adult institution what is expected of you should be strongly outlined as part of the enrolment process. I do not think that having no accountability sets anyone up for the REAL world. Regardless of discipline.